This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Red Cheese Enchiladas are an old family favorite recipe that is authentic and simply delicious!! They are cheesy, saucy, and loved by all.
The Best Cheese Enchiladas
We’ve made cheese enchiladas for decades, and they are INCREDIBLE!!
With our Hispanic heritage we have been surrounded by amazing cooks our whole lives. This recipe was first handed down from our great-grandma Bean Burro down to my grandma, then to my mom and now to us.
Minor tweaks have been made over the years, but we are confident they are even better than the restaurants and are perfect served with Pinto Beans, Spanish Rice, or maybe even some Beef Empanadas.
Why we love them:
- Simple. Even making a homemade enchilada sauce, this recipe comes together quick and is no-fail!
- Delicious. The flavors and spices and cheese make these enchiladas to die-for and perfect for any Mexican meal.
- Perfect for parties. Whether it’s for Christmas or fiesta, these enchiladas (along with our Chicken Enchiladas) are the star on the menu.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- all-purpose flour
- Gebhardt Chili Powder – our favorite chili powder (but any brand works)
- garlic powder
- oregano
- salt
- cumin
- chicken broth
- Corn Tortillas
- Mexican Blend Cheese – “Mexican blend cheese”, is what is typically used in restaurant enchiladas. It is a blend of cheeses usually consisting of Monterrey Jack, Cheddar or Colby Jack, and cheeses that melt easily such as asadero and oaxaca (also known as quesadilla cheese).
How to Make Cheese Enchiladas
- BEGIN SAUCE. To make these enchiladas, you have to begin with the enchilada sauce. This is made by adding oil to the pot and heating on Medium heat. Pour in flour and create a roux by whisking together for 1-2 minutes.
- SPICES. Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and mix until clumpy.
- BROTH. Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time and until there are no more clumps. Heat for about 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
- ASSEMBLE. Get your pan close to your sauce, along with a bowl of shredded cheese, and your tortillas. Dip each tortilla into the sauce until soft and put into the greased dish.
- FILL + ROLL. Add 1/4 cup cheese and roll up and push to the end of the pan.
- BAKE. Continue doing this with your tortillas until your pan is full. From there, you will pour the excess sauce over your tortillas. Sprinkle the top with more cheese, then bake (uncovered) at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
PRO TIP: Easy Rolling
Our favorite way to make sure tortillas roll up easily is by wrapping the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwaving for about 30 seconds. You can also flash fry them in oil for a few seconds on each side before dipping them in the sauce. Either method makes for easy rolling.
Cheese Enchiladas
Restaurant-Style Red Cheese Enchiladas are an old family favorite recipe that is simply the best!! They are cheesy, saucy, and so yummy.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp Gebhardt Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Corn Tortillas
- Mexican Blend Cheese
Instructions
- Add oil to pot and heat on Medium. Pour in flour and whisk together and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and oregano and mix until clumpy. Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time and until there are no more clumps. Heat for 15 minutes or until thickened.
- After you have made your sauce, you will want to dip your corn tortillas in the sauce until they are soft and immediately put it into a greased 11×7 pan.
- From there you will add cheese (I use the Mexican Blended Cheese), roll it up and push it to the end of the pan.
- Continue doing this with your tortillas until your pan is full. From there you will pour the excess sauce over your tortillas. Sprinkle the top with more cheese. (You can also prepare this in advance and refrigerate until ready to cook).
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Video
Notes
MAKE AHEAD OF TIME. These can made ahead of time, covered and refrigerated for 24 hours in advance.
STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FREEZE by making a disposable tray, covering tightly with foil and placing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 64kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Fat: 4g, Sodium: 480mg, Potassium: 62mg, Vitamin C: 5.4mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
What are the best toppings for cheese enchiladas?
- Fresh vegetables: sliced avocado, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, diced green onions, diced jalapeno peppers
- Salsas: Pico de Gallo, Homemade Salsa, Guacamole, Avocado Cream Sauce
- Dairy and cheese: sour cream, cotija cheese, queso fresco
Can I add meat to these enchiladas?
- Yes, any kind of meat you like! We’ve added rotisserie chicken, Shredded Chicken, Pork Barbacoa, and even shredded beef (our Beef Enchiladas are basically this recipe with the addition of beef).
Can cheese enchiladas be made ahead of time?
- These can made ahead of time, covered and refrigerated for 24 hours in advance.
How to store cheese enchiladas?
- STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- FREEZE by making a disposable tray, covering tightly with foil and placing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Wow! Who knew making your own enchilada sauce was so easy. I’ll never buy another canned sauce again. I added a little more chicken broth to thin out just a bit. I also used a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar. For a little twist I added a half of a yellow onion and whole jalapeno finely chopped to the cheese filling. My family really loved these enchiladas! Thank you!
Right?! I didn’t either! Thank you for sharing that!
I use butter instead of oil, and double the sauce
Super easy and our family loves them!
Sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing that!
One corn tortilla is 13 carbs these can’t possibly be 4 carbs per serving misleading for diabetics
I’d been using Trader Joe’s Enchilada Sauce, better than the canned sauces, but this recipe was not only easy but much better than TJ’s sauce! Delicious! I’ll never buy TJ’s sauce again! I made these twice. Tweaked the recipe the 2nd time.
Question: the description on the recipe says the tortillas are “…filled with… garlic pepper…” but I don’t see garlic pepper in the recipe? Why the reference to garlic pepper?
First time I tried this sauce I used a Target brand chili pepper. The sauce was dark, taste was good but not great. Bought the Gebhardt chili powder on Amazon, I immediately noticed it was lighter in color and smelled much better (not as strong) than Target brand I used. The sauce tasted significantly better with Gebhardt.
I didn’t cover the enchiladas before putting in the oven first time I made these. Cheese was dried out. Though the recipe doesn’t say it, definitely recommend covering in foil!
Sauce was too salty the first time, so 2nd time I completely left out the 1/2 tsp salt. Sodium from chicken broth was plenty of salt. Sauce still tasted great!
Corn tortillas tore when rolling up like others have complained about. Second time, I wrapped tortillas in foil, put in oven on low temp just to warm while putting everything else together and not one of them tore.
I love garlic so pressed 3 garlic cloves through a garlic press into the sauce instead of the powder. Delicious! Like the suggestion of onion powder someone had. I’ll try that next time!
I made 8 enchiladas the first time then squeezed in 2 more the second time so was able to use all 10 from the package. Used 16 oz of cheese, 1/2 cheddar, 1/2 pepper jack. Yum! Used “super size” tortillas but they still aren’t as big as the ones you get in the restaurants!
Thank you for sharing what you do. That’s just in the description of what is inside. Garlic pepper isn’t on the list. I list adding a little though.
I have made these enchiladas at least 10 times now. I’m sorry it took so long to comment and rate! 🙂 These are absolutely delicious and the only thing I do different is – 1. I can’t ever seem to *not* tear my tortillas when dipping them in the sauce, so I just put a layer of sauce, layer of torn tortillas, cheese, sauce and then another layer of tortillas and sauce. Kind of like an enchilada lasagna! Tastes exactly the same and keeps me sane haha. And 2. We add onions because we’re onion fans in this family! Otherwise I make it as-is.
Thank you so much for such a great recipe! It’s a weekly dinner in our house now!
You are so welcome!! Thank you for sharing what you do 🙂
Very good cheese enchilada, just like restaurants ❤️
I am so glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for saying that!
When I see Gebhardt chili I know it’s the real deal. My nana would approve and so do I!
Yay!! Love hearing that! Thank you for letting me know!
I never realized how easy it is to make homemade enchilada sauce! I had always used it from a can and never really loved the flavor unless I mixed green with red and it still never tasted like all of the yummy enchiladas from our favorite restaurants. Then I found this recipe and I have never looked back! It is seriously so good and so easy. I make it so often that I have it memorized and it quickly has become a family favorite.
No more canned red sauce for us! This recipe is so easy to make, and I can increase the heat based on who is eating! My kids love these enchiladas. I usually make a smaller pan, since we have little eaters, but I always do the full sauce recipe because it’s so delicious and we want extra sauce!
We love Mexican food and enchiladas are always a hit. Kristen’s cheese enchiladas are tops! Easy weeknight meal that’s a crowd pleaser.